


CARMINE

by Joeyrumlow



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, F/M, Fluff, Reader and Tadashi are very awkward, Tadashi Hamada Lives, it's kinda complicated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:29:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26041186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joeyrumlow/pseuds/Joeyrumlow
Summary: Honey Lemon wants you to meet her friend but you're already besotted with the guy who always sports a baseball hat. To find a way out, you opt for something drastic - you say you have a date. But when you say that your date is that very guy, you're in for a surprise -served with a dash of awkward and embarrassing moments.
Relationships: Tadashi Hamada/Reader, Tadashi Hamada/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 56





	CARMINE

"Oh c'mon Y/N! You have to tell me!" Honey Lemon was in a flurry as you walked down the street together. 

"Oh my, it's going to be a hot day isn't it?" you drawled nonchalantly, avoiding her eyes and kicking a stone on the pavement. 

"Y/N, this is not fair. Stop acting like a petulant child! I'm so excited to know who your date was! And besides, you've kept me in the dark about him all this while so it's only fair that you tell me. Don't you think it's time that I knew his name and you know, everything else?" She whined and pouted while you internally groaned. 

Honey Lemon had been 'dying' to introduce you to a friend of hers since the past week, claiming that you two were perfect for each other. But, you were having none of it. You see, you were already smitten with that cute guy who worked at The Lucky Cat Café. He was always very sweet and nice and butterflies fluttered around your stomach when he generously spilled you his warm smile. You had stumbled across the café some three weeks ago when you had been hunting for a quiet place to wind down after working at a complicated piece the entire afternoon. What with your busy schedule, visiting every day was impossible but you made sure to be there on weekends in the evening, particularly eager to bask in the light of his welcoming face and his heart warming smile.

You had yet to have a real conversation with him – apart from the 'Good evening! Welcome to the Lucky Cat Café!' 'Hello! And good evening to you too!' 'Here's your order! Enjoy!' 'Sure! Thank you!' — but you hoped that you would get around to that someday. For the present, you were content with quietly admiring him from afar. 

You had tried to convince Honey that you had no intention of meeting her friend but each time she had attacked you with her pleading face and said, "Please Y/N, don't say otherwise! He's a great guy and I'm sure you'll love him!" You didn't know why but you couldn't tell her about your crush; perhaps you did not want to include anyone else into the little bubble you had come to create at the café. It was something special, with just the two of you. And besides, it wouldn't hurt to keep dreaming a little bit longer, would it? But you had run out of patience when she had told you that she would be inviting her friend over on saturday so that you could talk and get acquainted in a more familiar setting. And therefore, you ended up saying something incredibly stupid - "Well, I uh, I actually have a date on saturday."

"What?!" she had looked at you as if you had transformed into something unreal. 

You had never seen Honey Lemon so - for the lack of a better word - flummoxed. You had hurried to coax her, stating that you were meaning to tell her but you had forgotten on account of the cart load of things you had on your mind about your paper on language and its unreliability. She had been her happy self soon after and asked who the lucky guy was. But you had given her a toothy smile instead and promised to tell her later because you had been unable to come up with anything at that moment. She had eyed you suspiciously but refrained from asking further questions and then wished you luck, also saying that her 'poor friend' would be very, very disappointed. 

You felt bad about lying to her and truly felt sorry for her friend but on the other hand, you were relieved. Honey had finally admitted defeat and you could go back to inconspicuously admiring that endearing dork with a baseball hat. 

As you walked under the cloudless skies with your roommate and friend, you racked your brain to concoct a more definite story about the 'date' you supposedly went on yesterday. You had already muttered a few sentences about going to the theatre but you were lost when it came to your date's name. You had successfully deluded Honey the day before and spent the entire evening sitting in a café at the opposite side of town, leaving just before closing time. Honey was not at home when you got back and you had hurried to get under your covers before she could return and bombard you with questions. But the morning brought both Honey and her questions and you had weakly suggested to talk it over breakfast. You were currently on your way to the nearest diner and she was getting restless and demanding by the minute. And, you were beginning to grow desperate. 'Should I just tell her the truth?' you pondered and running a hand over your face, turned to her. And that was when you saw him. 

He was at the opposite side of the street, groceries planted on top of his moped that stood beside him. Your heart melted when you saw him making funny faces at a child sobbing in her mother's arms and handing her a lollipop once she giggled. His signature hat was snugly sitting on his head which he adjusted like he always did. Heat climbed up your face and spread like a wildfire, claiming easy victory. 

"Y/N, are you al-"

"There he is," you involuntarily said, interrupting Honey. The mother and daughter were walking away while he began placing the groceries in the storage compartment, his back turned towards you both. 

"Who?" she followed your line of sight. 

The same impulse that had caused you to lie to her in the first place suddenly possessed you and you sputtered, "My date."

There was a pause as she kept her eyes on him after which she incredulously began looking back and forth between the two of you. Before you could comprehend what you had done or what she was up to, you were being dragged by your arm across the street, Honey ecstatically shouting, "Tadashi! Tadashi!" 

You suddenly felt sick and your heart was in your mouth. Honey was acquainted with your secret crush?! (Not to forget that you had finally gotten his name!) It was no use running away because her high pitched shouts had already reached his ears. You dared to take a peek at him and saw him standing with that luminous smile which caused flutters in the place where your heart used to be. 

Honey was smiling from ear to ear as you both stood before Tadashi, while you became a puddle with embarrassment, your eyes glued to your shoes. 

"Hey!" his deep voice greeted. 

You could not manage even a stuttering hello. 

"Tadashi!" Honey screamed again, causing you to sink further in. "Why didn't you tell me that you were the one to take Y/N on a date yesterday?"

Yes. That did it just right. You wished that lightning would strike you and turn you to ashes or the earth would open up and swallow you whole. Your face burned and your pounding heart ached. You didn't lift your eyes to see his reaction, unwilling to see the shock and horror now definitely etched on his face. 'Now he'll think I'm a creep and never talk to me again," you thought, ready to weep with mortification. 

Suddenly, you felt an arm around your shoulder and your eyes widened to meet those mellow irises looking at you with assurance and kindness, a gentle smile upon his lips. He looked back at Honey and apologetically said, "I'm really sorry Honey. Frankly speaking, I guess I was too dazed to think straight." Then returning to you with a smile that reminded you of spring, warmly said, "But Y/N and I had a great time yesterday and I can't wait for our next date this weekend." Despite his flowing words, he appeared a little shaken; his cheeks were tainted with roses and you could not fight the smile that found its way to your lips. 

"Aw, you guys are so cute!" Honey skipped like a child who has just seen its first snow. Then in a whirl she crossed her arms, furrowed her brows and sullenly eyed the both of you. "Couldn't you just tell me you had a date with Tadashi? It would have spared me so much trouble!" She thrust her chin forward as she spoke to you and then turning to Tadashi, she said, "And why didn't you tell me that you had already asked her out? Do you have any idea how much I went through on your behalf?" 

You blinked in surprise; it was now your turn to look back and forth between the two of them. Tadashi let out a small laugh and returned submissively, "I am really very sorry Honey, but I promise to make up for it!"

You were too surprised to say anything coherent but you mumbled your apologies sincerely. 

Her disapproving face instantly shone like the sun after a fresh shower. "Oh it doesn't matter! I'm just so glad that you two finally got together!" She clapped her hands joyfully and remarked, "I'll just take a picture of you two and then leave!" She captured a shot before either of you could protest and then enveloping you both in her embrace, happily danced away. 

A sudden silence fell as the chirpy presence of Honey Lemon faded away. Tadashi removed his hand from your shoulder and stood there awkwardly, looking everywhere but at you. His smooth style was completely gone and he became timid and bashful. The silence seemed to stretch forever at which he began stealing small glances at your flustered form, focused on playing with the strap of your bag. 

"I'm sorry I -"  
"I didn't me -"  
You both started at the same time and then stopped, a nervous laugh escaping your respective lips. 

He waited for you to go on but you whispered more to yourself, unable to grasp what was happening. "Were you the guy Honey was talking about all along?!" 

Was this a dream? It couldn't have been your crush who had been so eager to meet you and was 'perfect' for you! 

"Oh, uh, right." Yup, he had heard you. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "It - it was me." He laughed awkwardly as the red on his cheeks deepened and the tip of his ears grew rosy.

"How did you know I was Honey's friend?" you looked up at him askance. 

"Well, I happened to look at her phone once when it was ringing and oddly enough, it showed a picture of you." He was now flushing to the roots of his hair but he went on, "I know we've never really spoken before and trust me I wanted to but instead of talking to you like a normal person, I uh... well my brother told me I had been staring like a creep - I swear I didn't mean to... I mean I didn't uh, I - I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It's just that I uh, well, you know I didn't know what to say and you probably wouldn't -" 

You giggled despite being jittery all over, which effectively silenced his rambling and you said, "I owe you an apology as well as a thank you for playing along just now. But I had no idea that Honey was talking about you."

He looked puzzled. "What do you mean? She didn't tell you who I was?" 

You shook your head. "She did, but I didn't know you were Tadashi." 

He held out his hand at this and said cheerily, "Well, I guess it's time that I properly introduce myself. I'm Tadashi, Tadashi Hamada." 

You tentatively took it and said, "I'm Y/N, Y/N L/N."

"I know," he became awkward all over again as he said that, hastily adding, "I mean I saw it on Honey's phone first and then I asked her..."

You bit back a laugh as he took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. "So uh," he replaced his hat and cocked his head to give you a quizzical look and you knew the inevitable was coming, "why did you tell her we had a date yesterday?" 

You laughed uncomfortably and shuffled from foot to foot. "I only wanted... I didn't know... I just wanted Honey to leave me alone because I liked the guy who worked at the café, that is uh, you, but I didn't know she was talking about you and I told her I had a date when actually I didn't and she asked me how it went and who he was and then I saw you and said you were my date and..." You let out an exasperated sigh and buried your face in your hands and said, "That doesn't make any sense... I - I'm sorry."

"You li- like me?" his voice sounded breathless while you nodded in your hands. 

Gentle fingers slowly pulled your hands away from your face and you apprehensively glanced at him. His eyes held genuine warmth and candour as he spoke, "Hey, if you hadn't said that, we wouldn't be having this conversation." You gave him the smile that had warmed him in all those evenings and he could barely contain the goofy smile that came upon his lips. 

Hiro had relentlessly teased him but he had braved all that and made sure to be behind the counter in the evening on weekends. He had been terribly heartbroken when Honey had apologised and told him that you were interested in someone else. He had dejectedly sat at the counter the day before, half expecting and half dreading to see you walk in every moment. Indeed, when you had failed to turn up, disappointment struck him hard and even Hiro had held his tongue. But imagine his happiness when he saw you with Honey Lemon and his surprise when he was accused of taking you out! He had perceived your distress and played along but at the same time, had felt faint with the throes of exultation. 

Against the beatings of your heart and the rush of blood to your cheeks, you asked, "Why didn't you just ask me yourself?" 

"Because I am a chicken," he ejaculated forlornly, eliciting a chuckle from you. Suddenly, he turned his eyes to you and breathed, "I will have to take back the groceries so uh, if you want, we can grab some breakfast at my aunt's café and then maybe go to the park and uh, you know, make it our first date."

You tucked a strand behind your ear and shyly replied, "I'd like that."

"Really?" He could not believe this was happening. "I - I thought, well, I didn't think you'd say yes in the first place you know and so I thought..." He stopped and cleared his throat, shyly rubbing the back of his neck, "It would be the one before this weekend that is, right?" 

Carmine and flutters and elation became the ambience.  
"Yeah, before that."


End file.
